A decades-old tradition in Delaware has been forced from its longtime home, at least temporarily, after concerns about potentially dangerous trees led Rehoboth Beach officials to close Grove Park. The Rehoboth Beach Farmers Market, held Tuesdays from May through October, has moved down Rehoboth A venue to the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center parking lot. The temporary location has left some vendors and regular customers longing for the market’s usual setting. The move came after the forestry service determined that some large trees in Grove Park appeared to be at risk of falling, according to Rehoboth Beach City Manager Taylour Tedder. “Something definitely could have happened. Was it 100% likely? We don’t have any idea but at the end of the day we have to keep people safe and so the city closed the park,” Tedder said. The closure forced organizers to cancel the market at the last minute a couple of weeks ago. Vendors said the sudden cancellation cost them revenue. “We had the trucks all parked, ready to go. The trucks were full. At 7 o’clock at night, we were informed we wouldn’t have the market the next day,” Lenore Brady of Stag Run Farm said. Market manager and founder Pat Coluzzi said canceling was ultimately the right decision because of the potential danger. “They said these trees are dangerous and I said, ‘No way, I’m responsible for all the people who walk through here. I’m cancelling the market,'” Coluzzi said. The market has since been operating from the convention center parking lot but the location presents challenges. The convention center sometimes needs the parking lot on Tuesdays and the blacktop can become hot in the summer sun. Some regular customers also prefer Grove Park for its shade and atmosphere. “Because it’s shaded and it feels very peaceful up there so I would prefer the park,” Rehoboth resident Nikky Fisher explained. Crews were working Tuesday to remove some of the trees from Grove Park. Some market vendors said they believe the city’s environmental committee has wanted the market moved because of concerns that its operations are hurting the trees. “They’re claiming that our trucks were hurting the trees. We are only there one day a week. We are there for four hours and it’s only a half a year that we are there,” one vendor said. For now, the farmers market remains out of Grove Park and could stay out for the rest of the season. The park is expected to reopen to foot traffic soon, but market visitors will need to head to the convention center for the time being. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less